Oct 23, 2026 4:51 AM

With the trade deadline less than three weeks away, the Jaguars' need for help in the secondary is brought into focus.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are in a great spot heading into their bye week. 

The Jaguars are 4-2 and have a two-game lead over the 2-4 Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts. 

Jacksonville has already proven that last season’s 13-4 record was no fluke, and Trevor Lawrence has continued to play at an MVP level.

The Jaguars have already finished the toughest part of their schedule and have won several games against teams expected to be Super Bowl contenders this season. 

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However, that doesn’t mean Jacksonville doesn’t have plenty of room for improvement or have certain positions that could use an upgrade or two. 

With the NFL’s trade deadline in less than three weeks, general manager James Gladstone must be aggressive in finding reinforcements that could help propel the Jaguars to the first Super Bowl in franchise history. 

With a loaded AFC that features juggernauts like the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, plus several other teams capable of a long playoff run, the Jaguars can’t afford to stand idly by and waste the opportunity the trade deadline provides to make the team better. 

One area that Jacksonville absolutely needs to upgrade is the team’s cornerback room. 

Aside from second-year phenom Travis Hunter, who continues to develop into one of the NFL’s best CBs, the rest of the Jaguars’ corners have struggled badly this season. 

NFL.com released an article focusing on the greatest area of need for 10 contending teams as the trade deadline nears. For the Jaguars, their clear need at cornerback was highlighted. 

Cornerbacks "Trending Down"

When it comes to Jacksonville's cornerbacks, Hunter is the only one holding up his end of the bargain right now. Jarrian Jones has been picked on more than almost any other CB in the league. Montaric Brown has regressed mightily after having a breakout season last year. Jourdan Lewis seems to be a step behind in coverage more often than not.

All of this was mentioned by NFL.com's Gennaro Filice, who also mentioned Jacksonville's secondary getting burned by Josh Allen and the Bills in last year's playoffs.

"Travis Hunter is rounding into form as a defensive stopper -- purportedly even fake stumbling to bait quarterbacks into interceptions -- but the rest of Jacksonville’s cover men are trending down. Montaric “Buster” Brown has struggled with ineptitude and injury since signing a lucrative extension in March, Jarrian Jones has yielded the second-most passing yards in the league (379, per Next Gen Stats) and 31-year-old slot Jourdan Lewis has shown some signs of his advanced age. The Jaguars’ breakthrough 2025 campaign came to an abrupt conclusion on Wild Card Weekend, when Bills QB Josh Allen fought through multiple injuries to complete 80 percent of his passes against Jacksonville, going 5-for-5 for 53 yards on the game-winning drive. If the Jags want to advance in the postseason tourney, they need to close more passing lanes."

Final Thoughts

Jacksonville can't afford to let the trade deadline pass without finding cornerback help. There should be several corners available who can come in and bolster the Jaguars' secondary, even in limited roles.

The Jaguars are too good to let an obvious weakness be their downfall in the playoffs. Right now, Hunter is carrying the entire group on his back, but he can't do it alone.

Expect Gladstone to be working the phones while Jacksonville is on its bye, as he at least checks in on several of the corners who may be dealt in the coming weeks.

Especially with Brown currently injured, the team must find at least one, if not two, corners who can help strengthen the group as the Jaguars make their march toward the playoffs for the second season in a row.

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